The present disclosure relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus.
Widely used image forming apparatuses exploiting electrophotography, such as copiers and printers, form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive drum as an image carrying member, and develop the electrostatic latent image by using a developing device to thereby form a toner image on a sheet. Examples of methods for developing images include a method that uses two-component developer containing magnetic carrier and toner, and uses a toner feeding roller carrying the developer and a developing roller carrying toner alone.
In the developing device, in a region where the developing roller and the toner feeding roller face each other, only toner moves onto the developing roller via a magnetic brush formed on the surface of the toner feeding roller. At this time, the magnetic brush may sometimes separate toner left unused during development from the developing roller. This makes it more likely for the toner to float in the region where the developing roller and the toner supply roller face each other, and if the floating toner accumulates and collects, it may have an adverse effect on image quality.
There is known an example of a developing device proposed as a solution for such a problem. This conventional developing device includes a toner receiving member which receives the toner that falls from the developing roller, and a vibration generating means which vibrates the toner receiving member. In this developing device, by vibrating the toner receiving member, it is possible to prevent accumulation of toner that falls, without being used in development, from the developing roller.